San Antonio Mayor Castro to be first Latino Democratic Convention keynote speaker

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Democratic National Convention and become the first Latino to do so, President Obama’s campaign announced Tuesday.

Mr. Castro will join first lady Michelle Obama and speak on the opening night of the convention on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

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“I know I’ve got big shoes to fill,” Mr. Castro said in a video message released by the Democratic National Convention Committee. “Two conventions ago, the keynote speaker was a guy named Barack Obama. I remember watching his speech in 2004 and being inspired.”

“When Obama talked about the audacity of hope, I thought back to my mother saying that if you didn’t like the way things were, you could dare to change them,” he continued. “I thought, ‘my mother would like this guy.’ “

Mr. Castro, 37, is the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city and is serving his second term as mayor of San Antonio.

“Having both the first lady and Mayor Castro speak on the opening night of our convention will bring together two incredible leaders whose life stories both embody the promise of America, that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can make it,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the 2012 Democratic Convention chairman.

The news follows Monday’s announcement that President Clinton will deliver the nominating speech on Wednesday, Sept. 5. Mr. Clinton is to be preceded by consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren, who is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts.